Port Harbor officials told the Hancock County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 4 that an existing lease with Alpek Polyester will be amended to increase the permitted railcar storage from 350 to 385 cars, and the board approved a $2,700,000 purchase-and-sale agreement with Adler Industrial LLC for property at 3310 Port Harbor Drive in Bay Saint Louis.

The change to the Alpek agreement was presented by Blaine Lafontaine, Port Harbor representative. "At the end of the day, we're increasing the rail volume of storage agreement to 385 cars, and there's about 6 years remaining on that agreement," Lafontaine said. The board voted 5-0 to approve the amendment.

Why it matters: Port Harbor and county officials said the amendment responds to a recent closure of an Alpek plant in Fayetteville, N.C., and is intended to accommodate shifted production. The Adler sale, the presenters said, will let the port apply proceeds toward other county-owned redevelopment sites, including a parcel identified as Solvay.

Supporting details: The board also approved Port Harbor's docket of claims from July 28, 2025, in the amount of $1,743,603.04 by a 5-0 vote. The Adler transaction and the ledger approval each passed on motions that were seconded and recorded as unanimous (Districts 1–5 voting yes).

Context and next steps: Lafontaine told supervisors the Adler deal ‘‘solidifies this company's position of investing further and expanding that facility in Hancock County and in Port Bienville and allows us to take those funds generated and apply it towards the other site that we purchased.’’ The agreement and amendment were effected by board vote; the Port Harbor representative did not propose further board action at this meeting.

Ending note: All motions related to these items carried unanimously (5-0). No additional conditions or contingencies were stated on the record beyond routine closing procedures and prior authorizations cited by presenters.